HONOLULU – The Washington State University women's basketball team couldn't stop West Virginia's lights-out shooting, as the Cougars fell to the Mountaineers, 88-66, at Stan Sheriff Center in the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic Saturday.
Junior Tia Presley led the Cougars (1-3) with 16 points and sophomore Lia Galdeira added 12 points. The game marks the fourth-straight 10-point performance of the season for Galdeira. Senior Sage Romberg led WSU with five rebounds, and recorded the team's only two blocks.
The Mountaineers shot .564 (31-of-55) on the afternoon and converted 22-of-30 free throws en route to victory. West Virginia jumped out to an early seven-point lead, opening the game on a 9-2 run. The Cougars closed to within five points on six different occasions, led by Presley's 12 first half points. The Mountaineers responded with a 13-6 run beginning with six minutes left in the half. The Cougars entered the locker room trailing 34-46.
In the second half, WSU and WVU traded baskets, as the Mountaineers maintained a double-digit lead and finished the game with 46 points in the paint. The Cougars notched 19 points off the bench and shot .426 (23-of-54) from the floor.
WSU concludes the Bank of Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Classic Sunday, facing Ole Miss at 4:30 p.m. (PST).
Follow along on the Cougars trip to Hawaii on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and wsucougars.com.
Photos from the trip can be found on Facebook.
